College cost of attendance calculator with net price and a four-year projection
This college cost calculator adds up the five parts of a US cost of attendance, tuition and fees, housing and food, books and supplies, transportation and personal expenses, then subtracts the grants and scholarships you expect. What is left is the net price: the amount your family has to cover from savings, income, work or loans.
It projects the cost over the years you plan to study, using a yearly increase you choose, and puts two colleges side by side so you can see which one is cheaper in total. Nothing is pre-loaded from a database: you type the figures from each college, so the answer matches the offer you actually have.
How to use the College Cost of Attendance Calculator
- Name the colleges and type each yearly cost from the college website or award letter.
- Enter the grants and scholarships you will not have to repay, per year.
- Set the expected yearly cost increase and the number of years of study.
- Read the net price for year one, the table by year, and the comparison sentence.
College Cost of Attendance Calculator features
Two colleges at once
Compare a private and a public option, or in-state against out-of-state, on the same assumptions.
Your numbers only
The pre-filled amounts are round examples. Nothing is presented as an official price.
Year-by-year projection
Costs rise by your chosen percentage each year, while grants stay flat unless you change them.
Net price floor
Aid larger than cost never produces a negative net price.
What counts in the cost of attendance
US colleges publish a cost of attendance made of tuition and fees, housing and food, books and supplies, transportation and personal expenses. Financial aid offices use it as the ceiling for aid. Net price is cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships, which is why a college with a high sticker price can cost less than a cheaper one with small awards.
Loans and work-study are not subtracted here because they are money you borrow or earn, not a discount. Treat the net price as what you must find from other sources.
| Component | Typical source of the figure |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | College tuition page or award letter |
| Housing and food | Residence hall and meal plan rates, or local rent |
| Books and supplies | College estimate, often a few hundred to about a thousand dollars a year |
| Transportation | Flights home, car or transit pass |
| Personal expenses | Phone, clothing, health costs, fun |
How the projection works
Year one is the sum of the five costs. Each later year multiplies that sum by (1 + increase) for every year that has passed, so a 3 per cent rise turns $46,200 into $47,586 in year two. Grants are subtracted from each year and held flat, because many awards are fixed amounts; if yours grow, raise the figure. The totals add the years together.
Use realistic ranges. Tuition has often risen faster or slower than general inflation depending on the college, so try 2, 3 and 5 per cent. To fund the gap, see the education loan calculator for repayments, and compare costs abroad with the study abroad cost calculator.
Using official sources
NCES College Navigator and the Department of Education College Scorecard list published prices and average net prices by income band for most US colleges. Every college must also provide a net price calculator on its website. Copy those numbers in, then adjust for your own situation.
College Cost of Attendance Calculator FAQ
What is included in the cost of attendance?
Tuition and fees, housing and food, books and supplies, transportation and personal expenses. Some colleges also add loan fees or a computer allowance.
What is net price?
Cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships. It excludes loans and work-study because those are paid by you.
How accurate is the four-year projection?
It is only as good as the increase you assume. It is an estimate for planning, not a quote from the college.
Does this college cost estimator use real tuition data?
No. You type the figures, so the tool never shows an out-of-date price. Links to official data sources are on the page.
Should I include loans as aid?
Not for net price. Loans must be repaid, so they are a way to pay the net price, not a reduction of it.
Can I compare more than two colleges?
Not in one view. Change a college’s figures and read the result again, or note each summary with the copy button.